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Brighton Family Law Blog

On behalf of Law Offices of Harris & Literski posted in Family Law on Thursday, March 15, 2018.

Prenuptial agreements, or prenups, have traditionally received the most attention among the rich and famous. However, people of a wide range of backgrounds and walks of life in Michigan and elsewhere use these agreements today. The reason for this is that these agreements can offer valuable financial protection for those going through the family law proceeding of divorce.

A prenuptial agreement is a legal document that two individuals create and sign before they walk down the aisle. In this agreement, they can spell out how they would like their assets to be handled in the event that they end up getting divorced. One of the most effective ways in which to make this type of agreement bulletproof is to be honest with one's soon-to-be spouse about matters pertaining to it.

On behalf of Law Offices of Harris & Literski posted in Family Law on Friday, March 9, 2018.

Maintaining a good credit score is of utmost concern to many Michigan residents and others around the country. Unfortunately, when couples go through a divorce, those scores could fall as a result of various financial factors. Family law experts recommend ways to keep a strong credit rating even though one's marriage may be coming to an end.

On top of paying for a divorce itself, the former spouses also have to manage expenses individually rather than as a couple. New housing costs, alimony or child support may also be a financial strain that could lead to credit difficulties. Also, if credit cards were obtained jointly, an ex-spouse's failure to pay bills in a timely manner could negatively affect someone's credit score.

On behalf of Law Offices of Harris & Literski posted in Family Law on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.

When a couple in Michigan or elsewhere around the country get a divorce, the issue of alimony or spousal support is likely to be addressed. For the past 75 years, alimony was taxed a certain way for the payer and the recipient. However, the new tax law that was approved late last year changes how alimony will be taxed. Family law experts predict that these changes will affect how divorces will be handled during the remainder of 2018.

Currently, the person making alimony payments can deduct the amount from taxable income. This has resulted in benefits to both parties in the divorce. The person paying could agree to a higher amount of alimony since it could be deducted. In turn, the recipient got a higher amount of support. Though the recipient paid taxes on the amount, he or she was typically in a lower tax bracket.

On behalf of Law Offices of Harris & Literski posted in criminal defense on Thursday, February 22, 2018.

The holiday season often brings many occasions for people to attend parties and celebrations where alcoholic beverages are served. During this time, law enforcement officials routinely focus on curtailing the number of people who get behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. A recent effort by Michigan police resulted in over 480 motorists focusing on criminal defense concerns following their arrests for alleged drunk driving.

The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning reported that the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign was held from Nov. 22 through Dec. 10, 2017. During this effort, 482 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence. This number included 71 drivers that were charged with an apparent blood alcohol content of .17 or higher.

On behalf of Law Offices of Harris & Literski posted in blog on Wednesday, February 21, 2018.

While gray divorce is clearly on the rise, you may still shy away from divorce due to your age. For example, you may think something like, "I'm 65. How will I ever meet someone new?" or "How can I stay afloat financially?" Indeed, older people can have many concerns that keep them from pursuing divorce.

However, just how bad can the outcome of a gray divorce be? In some cases, yes, the consequences can hit hard. In many cases, though, the short-term pain leads to long-term gains. Here are some ways to tackle the common concerns related to gray divorce.

On behalf of Law Offices of Harris & Literski posted in Family Law on Tuesday, February 13, 2018.

When a couple in Michigan or elsewhere around the country decide to get a divorce, there is always much discussion around finances. Family law experts believe that those financial discussions become even more complicated when the couple is older. In fact, further complexities arise if one or both of the ex-spouses decides to remarry. Advisers recommend several steps to protect one's financial situation, whether a person is currently married, planning to be married or going through a divorce.

First, it is important to have a clear picture of the couple's financial situation, including a listing of all assets and liabilities. This is vital information for a couple to share with each other before a marriage. If a couple is already married, they may elect to create a postnuptial agreement to address certain issues.

On behalf of Law Offices of Harris & Literski posted in Family Law on Thursday, February 8, 2018.

When couples get divorced in Michigan or elsewhere around the nation, they have numerous issues to resolve. Housing, retirement accounts and spousal support are just a few of the topics that must be discussed when a marriage comes to an end. However, family law experts note that for couples with children, it is of utmost importance to carefully address the children's needs. Two rural sociologists recently studied how farm families were affected by divorce. However, national data indicates that divorce can influence children and their families, regardless of the parents' occupations.

According to authorities, the age of the children at the time the parents divorce has a great impact on their lives. Most children under 4 years old do not completely comprehend what is happening. Those from 4 to 8 years of age may believe that they are the ones who have done something to cause the split. Children over 8 years old tend to take sides with one parent over the other. Adolescents of any age may experience problems with sleep, performance in school or self-esteem.

On behalf of Law Offices of Harris & Literski posted in Family Law on Thursday, February 1, 2018.

When a Michigan couple or others across the country go though a divorce, child custody issues are among the most sensitive in the deliberations. While traditional arrangements often saw the children spend the majority of their time with one parent, shared parenting is now gaining more widespread support. In fact, family law experts report that 25 states either have legislation in place that supports shared parenting or are considering it.

In many past divorces, one parent was the custodial parent, while the other mainly saw the children on weekends or some holidays. However, child advocates stress that children can experience negative consequences by not having both parents actively involved in their lives. In the area of education, reports show that over 70% of those who drop out of high school come from single-parent homes. When both parents contribute to a child's educational process, grades are proved to be higher.

On behalf of Law Offices of Harris & Literski posted in blog on Thursday, February 1, 2018.

Various factors likely contribute to the end of your marriage. Every circumstance is unique, but one aspect that may play a huge role in your divorce is substance abuse. Drug or alcohol addiction is detrimental to relationships. Not only does abuse of alcohol and drugs cause divorce, but it can also impact the divorce process.

If substance abuse is a factor in the dissolution of your marriage, how will it affect your divorce? Read below to learn how addiction may influence the outcome of your separation.

On behalf of Law Offices of Harris & Literski posted in blog on Wednesday, January 24, 2018.

As an older person, you may exercise care when navigating icy sidewalks or making your way up and down stairs to minimize your risk of falling and hurting yourself, and you would be wise to do so. Nowadays, falls are the single-largest cause of injury, fatality and hospital visits among Americans 65 and over, and there are many reasons why this is the case.

As a senior, you may have factors in your life that place you at a higher risk of taking a tumble than those across other age groups. Additionally, the more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to experience a serious fall and suffer broken bones, head injuries or even death as a result. As you grow older, your risk of falling may rise if:

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